Date Posted:06/18/07 9:31:23pm Author:Travis Subject: Questions Regarding the New Hunting Regulations
I've only become aware of the possibility of drastic changes to our hunting regulations a few days ago. I've seen all sorts of ideas thrown around on some of the message boards as to what the FWC "should" do. The FWC press release is pretty cryptic as to what changes the future might hold. What ideas are seriously being considered and what is just internet gossip? Also, from the time the finalized ideas are submitted in September, how much time will the public have to examine these measures before the Commission votes on them?
As a life-long Florida resident and a hunter concerned about the future of hunting in Florida, here are my thoughts on some of the issues I see being discussed:
Personally, I'm pretty upset about the possibility of a shorter season. I've lived in Florida my whole life and ever since I was a child September through January was a time of wonder when I was out in the woods with my family. As an adult, hunting is my lifestyle. I couldn't live with a one or two month season. That's too short a time to enjoy the woods. Its also too short a time to really kill deer.
I am also oppposed to antler restrictions and bag limits unless they are reasonable. A five, or at worse a three, buck limit seems reasonable if it continues to allow for unlimited doe harvest during archery season and the 3 point rule could be acceptable if it allows for at least one or more bucks in the bag limit to be under 3 points. I would strongly oppose a one or two buck limit or a mandatory 3 point rule without exceptions.
In regards to our deer heard, I see more deer now than ever in the woods and on the stand. I am also seeing and hearing of more big bucks being killed than ever. I can't help but feel that many of the people complaining that they aren't seeing any deer must be newcomers to the state that have unrealistic expectations about what good hunting is. Florida hunters will never see a dozen bucks walk under them in a day in most hunting situations like one might see in Illinois. That's just unrealistic here. No matter how many deer we have, the Florida whitetail's habitat and behavior doesn't allow for that.
Personally, I think everythig is generally ok regarding our deer heard. The biggest problem we have is a shortage of places to hunt. Up until five years ago it was possible to get into large hunting clubs or leases for no more than 400-500 dollars per hunter. With development skyrocketing, those leases are hard to get now. Public land is all I can afford to hunt now. If you want to save hunting in Florida, slow the development down and open up more state land for hunting. I'm not saying do away with the quota system and open everything up to everyone. Overcrowding is a problem as it is. But make more land avaliable to hunting that otherwise has been closed off.
I personally love the recreational use permits and I hope they stay around. I'm in a recreational use WMA now that is the closest thing I can find to the hunting clubs I grew up in. The few hundred dollars I pay to hunt there is more expensive than a quota stamp, but much cheaper than the $4,000 I would now have to pay for a similar quality lease.
Anyhow, this is all my 2 cents as a concerned hunter.
